Printing press water solution mixing and distributing mechanism



14, 1965 H. w. GEGENHEIMER ETAL 3,223,294

PRINTING PRESS WATER SOLUTION MIXING AND DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM Original Filed Nov. 14, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I II:

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PRINTING PRESS WATER SOLUTION MIXING AND 19 DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 14,

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De 1965 H. w. GEGENHEIMER ETAL 3,223,294

PRINTING PRESS WATER SOLUTION MIXING AND DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM Original Filed Nov. 14, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 In. RELAYIN-O. 2 SEC. 05

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United States Patent 3,223,294 PRINTING PRESS WATER SDLUTION MlXlNG AND DISTRHBUTWG MECHANISM Harold W. Gegenheimer, Darien, Conan, Andrew N. Stad,

Syosset, N.Y., and Philip E. Tobias, Abington, Pa., assignors to Baidwin-Gegenheimer Corporation, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Griginal application Nov. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 152,205, new Patent No. 3,166,095, dated Jan. 19, 1%5. Divided and this application July 22, 1964, Ser. No. 334,315

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-434) This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 152,205, filed November 14, 1961, now Patent No. 3,166,095 of January 19, 1965.

The present invention relates to a fluid mixing and distributing device and more particularly to a device for automatically mixing a solution of the proper amount of ingredients and supplying such solution to the water fountain pan of an offset printing press in a continuously flowing recirculating system.

Offset printing presses are generally provided with a water fountain which is filled with a solution of gum arabic dissolved in water and a slight proportion of chromic or phosphoric acid. The damping rollers apply this etch and gum water solution to the non-printing portions of the printing plate on the plate cylinder of the press thus ensuring that no ink from the inking rollers will be received on those dampened parts of the plate. The proportions of a particular etch and gum solution are dictated by a number of factors, including the type of ink used, the nature of the printed work, the color being printed, and the type of paper to be printed, to name a few.

Heretofore, an offset press operator has had to be alert to replenish the supply of solution in the press water fountain pan since a dry-up would result in ink being applied to the non-printing portions of the printing plate, thereby spoiling a printing run.

The replenishment was generally done on a batch basis as needed and in large offset printing plants the constant replenishment of the water fountain pans was a costly, tedious and time-consuming job. Further, the manual replenishment at the water fount solution was often accompanied by accidental flooding of the water fountain pan so that an excess of solution was applied to the dampening rollers. Also, spillages of the solution occurred onto the operating portions of the press and onto the material to be printed. Such spillages of acid solution often required the press to be stopped for cleaning and generally ruined the printing material upon which it spilled. In webfed presses, spillages generally caused a break in the web material being printed. Dry-ups, spillages and flooding of the water fountain solution all contribute to increased costs of operation and reduction of printing quality.

Attempts have been made to keep the solution in the water fountain pans replenished at a constant level by furnishing individual units for each press. These units while answering the purpose of smaller presses and printing plants, were usually of a fixed capacity and such individual units required supervision lest a particular press water fountain run dry when its associated unit was depleted. In a large printing plant or for very large presses supervision of individual units is time-consuming and tedious.

The present invention is characterized by the provision of a novel re-circulating system for the water solution running through the water fountain pan of an offset press from central supply unit which continuously and automatically supplies the water solution from the central supply unit to Water fountains of a large press or the ice fountains of a number of presses. The etch and gum concentrate is placed in the supply unit, generally once every 24 hour Work shift, the plant water supply is connected and the solution concentration is set on an associated metering tank and the device is ready to supply the proper solution to the water fountain pans and maintain the solution in the pans at the proper level. The supply to the press is force fed in a circulating system through the press water fountain pan by a pump at the supply unit. The return line from the pan is connected to a filtering tank to remove any sludge from the solution before return of the solution to the supply tank.

The supply unit includes means for replenishing the solution in the supply tank when it reaches a predetermined level. A liquid level control unit actuates a con trol circuit when the solution supply in the tank drops to a set level. The pump is stopped and the preset amount of gum concentrate is fed through the metering tank together with the entry of water from the Water supply line into the solution tank. When the solution in the supply tank reaches a preset upper level, the Water supply and gum concentrate supply lines are closed and the pump restarted to circulate the fresh solution mixture through the fountains which are thus automatically maintained with a predetermined level of continuously circulating solution. The liquid level control unit is preset to mix relatively small batches of new solution so that a freshly mixed solution is continuously supplied to the water fountain pans.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a mechanism for maintaining a circulating supply of etch and gum water solution in a press water fountain pan, a novel control system for maintaining the supply of solution in the mechanism at preset levels, including interrupting the circulation of the solution and replenishing the supply when the supply in the mechanism drops to a preset lower level and re-establishing the circulation of the solution when the solution supply reaches a preset upper level.

An additional object of the invention is to provide, in a device for maintaining a circulating supply of etch and gum water solution in a press water fountain pan, a novel metering tank for furnishing the desired amount of etch and gum concentrate to the solution supply tank of the device in response to the entry of water into the supply tank.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient and novel device for continuously supplying etch and gum water solution to the water fountain pans of a plurality of printing presses.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claim.

The invention consists in novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings referred to herein and constituting a part hereof illustrate one embodiment of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front View of the novel metering tank of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 55, FIG. 4; and,

FIG. 6 is a schematic electrical wiring diagram of a suitable control circuit for the present invention.

General description Referring to the drawings and specifically to FIGS 1-3, the preferred embodiment of the water foundation solution supply unit, designated generally 10, includes a generally rectangular frame 12 supported on legs 14 at each corner thereof and including front and rear struts 16 and 18 and side panels 17 and 19.

Unit comprises a main tank 20, preferably of Fiberglas or other acid resistant material, divided by a removable center-wall divider 22 into two separate compartments 24 and 26. Tank 20 is provided with a peripheral lip or flange portion 21 which is supported on an accommodating shoulder 13 on frame 12. A two-section movable top 15, on frame 12, is provided to cover compartments 24 and 26 of tank 20.

Compartment 24 of tank 20 constitutes a storage reservoir for holding the etch and gum concentrate while compartment 26 is provided for containing the mixed water fountain solution. Connected to compartment 26 is the main water supply line 30 through which fresh water is fed under pressure to compartment 26.

To feed the etch and gum concentrate from compartment 24 to mixing compartment 26, there is provided a suitable supply line 32 connected to the inlet of a metering tank 34. Tank 34 in turn is connected at its outlet by line 36 to water supply line 30 through a suitable aspirator 38.

The solution, in turn, is fed from compartment 26 of supply tank 20 to the water fountain pans (not shown) of the presses by a suitable motor-driven centrifugal pump 40 connected to the fountain pan supply line 42. Centrifugal pump 40 and its drive motor 41 are preferably built as an integral unit and are of stainless steel or other corrosion resistant material with pump 40 having preferably a lift or about thirty-four feet.

In the preferred embodiment, pump 40 supplies the water fountain solution an a continuous circulating flow through the press pans. The return flow fom the pans is carried back to unit 10 by a suitable return line 44 which deposits the return solution into a filtering tank 46 carried in a support frame 48. Frame 48 includes a pair of side brackets 50 and 52 fixed to side panels 17 and 19, respectively, of main frame 12. The return flow of solution is deposited on to a fine mesh screen 54 removably mounted in tank 46. Screen 54 is operative to remove the sludge carried by the solution from the press water fountain pans before it is returned to the mixing compartment 26. It will be understood that tank 46 is supported in frame 48 in inclined position such that one corner thereof is lowermost. A drain 47 is located at this lowermost corner to return the filtered solution in tank 46 gravitating theretoward into compartment 26, thus, a recirculating flow of fresh solution is continuously supplied to the water fountain pan of the press.

Metering tank Referring specifically to FIGS. 4 and 5, metering tank 34 which precisely controls the amount of etch and gum concentrate fed to mixing compartment 26, is of novel construction and comprises an outer housing 33, preferably of cylindrical configuration, and includes front and rear cover plates 35 and 37, respectively, to form a closed cylindrical chamber 39 therein.

Metering tank 34 is supported beneath tank 20 on a front bracket 56 fixed to front cover plate 35 and, in turn, being carried by front strut 16. Rear cover plate 37 is fixed to a second bracket 58 carried by rear strut 18. Metering tank 34 is thus supported to dispose the central axis of chamber 39 in generally horizontal plane.

Concentrate supply line 32 is connected to tank 34 and communicates with chamber 39 adjacent to the bottom thereof. Mounted axially in chamber 39 is a solid shaft 60 rotatably supported at one end in a suitable bearing 62 in front plate 35. The end of shaft 60 extending outwardly of chamber 39 through plate 35 has an actuating knob 64 for reasons hereinbelow set forth. A breather tube 61 communicates with chamber 39 to prevent the development of an air lock therein.

The end of shaft 60 remote from knob 64 is disposed in the enlarged end 65 of a stepped sleeve 66 coaxially fixed thereto. The narrower elongated section 67 of sleeve 66 is carried in a suitable bearing 68 in rear plate 37, and is rotatably mounted in a connector 70 carried by bearing 68 and attached to line 36.

Fixed transversely of sleeve 66 at its enlarged end 65 is a second sleeve or tube 72 whose feed end is disposed adjacent the inner periphery of chamber 39 with the internal cavity 71 of sleeve 72 communicating with the internal cavity 63 of sleeve 66 and thus with line 36.

An indicator 74 is mounted transversely on shaft 60 adjacent knob 64 and disposed relative to the axis of shaft 60 at right angles to tube '72. (See FIG. 4.) The free end 73 of indicator 74 is adapted to travel along an indicator gauge plate 76 for positioning by actuation of knob 64 at the desired setting thereon of etch and gum concentrate feed.

In operation, when etch and gum concentrate is drawn out of tank 34 in response to movement of water through aspirator 38, the contents of tank 34 are drained to the level of the free end 71 of tube 72. Thus with tube 72 set transversely of indicator 74, when the free end of the indicator 74 is set at zero, end 71 of tube 72 is positioned at the top of horizontally-disposed chamber 39 so that no concentrate is drained therefrom by aspirator 38. Conversely, when indicator 74 is at six ounces, the end 71 of tube 72 is located at the bottom of chamber 39 so that all its contents will be drained therefrom by aspirator 38. Intermediate settings of indicator 74 result in predetermined amounts between zero and six ounces per gallon of concentrate being drawn from chamber 39 by the action of aspirator 38. Thus, metering tank 34 and its associated mechanism provides a simple, sure means of feeding precise amounts of concentrate from compartment 24 into mixing compartment 26 in response to the entry of water into compartment 26.

Electrical control system The cyclic operation of unit 10, hereinafter described in detail, is effected by the suitable electrical control system schematically illusrtated in FIG. 6. This system includes three-position, control switches 101, 105, 107, mounted on control panel 99 which are, in usual operation, all on the normal position. A suitable liquid level control element 100 is set to interrupt the circuit energizing motor 41 of pump 40 when the fluid level in compartment 26 reaches a preset lower level B (preferably five gallons). When level B is reached, contacts 102 and 102a of element 100 are closed and 102 and 10217 are open. This interrupts the circuit energizing pump motor 41 while completing a circuit energizing a normally-open solenoid valve 104 in line 32 to close the feed of etch and gum concentrate from compartment 24 to tank 34.

Simultaneously, the normally-closed solenoid valve 106 in line 36, between tank 34 and aspirator 38, is opened while the normally-closed solenoid valve 108 in main water supply 30 is also opened. The circuit to pump motor 41 also includes a normally-closed solenoid valve 109 in line 42 to the water fountain pans. It will be understood that the interruption of the circuit to valve 109 stops the feed from unit 10 to the water pans.

The opening of valve 108 permits water under pressure to be fed through aspirator 38 into compartment 26. The feed of water through aspirator 38 creates a vacuum therein which sucks the etch and gum concentrate in tank 34 through aspirator 38 into compartment 26 for mixing with fresh water. Water and concentrate are thus continuously fed into compartment 26 until the preset amount of concentrate from tank 34 has all been deposited into compartment 26 and the solution level therein reaches an upper preset level A" (preferably 15 gallons).

In construction, the relative sizes of the water supply line 30, line 36 and aspirator 38 are such as to insure that tank 34 will be completely drained before all the required water is fed into compartment 26. This insures that the proper solution proportions are always maintained in each solution mixture. In normal operation, the total elapsed time for the mixing operations is approximately two minutes.

When the upper level limit A is reached, contacts 102 and 102:: are opened and contacts 102 and 10212 are closed. This interrupts the circuit energizing solenoid valves 104, 106 and 108, reclosing valves 106 and 108 and reopening valve 104. In addition, the closing of contacts 102 and 10211 re-establishes the circuit energizing pump motor 41 and solenoid valve 109.

To insure that valves 104, 106, 108 and 109 are not opened or closed against the action of pump 40, there is provided in the circuit actuating pump motor 41, a normally-open time delay relay 110 which delays the re-actuation of pump motor 41 for preferably two seconds after the completion of the circuit thereto. This twosecond delay is sulficient to permit the solenoid valves to return to normal operating position without adverse effect from the action of pump 40.

It will be understood that when the lower level B is reached and pump 40 is deactuated, no time delay is required between de-energizing of pump 40 and the actuation of solenoid valves 104, 106, 108 and 109, since with the circuit to pump motor 41 interrupted, valves 104, 106, 108 and 109 have to overcome from pump 40 only a negligible force.

To give an indication of when unit is in the process of mixing a new solution, there is provided a red panel signal light 111 which is energized when contacts 102 and 102a are closed. A second light 113 provided, preferably at the rear of the machine, and energized when element 100 is energized provides an easy means for visual inspection of the levels in compartments 24 and 26 of opaque tank 20. Further, there is provided a normallyclosed time delay relay 115 for element 100. Time delay relay 115 is operative when the level of the liquid is between limits A and B to permit resumption of pump 40 in the event switch 101 is moved to otf position and then moved back to normal position.

A suitable liquid level control element 100 is the Verse-Tran liquid level control unit commercially available from the Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Co., Industrial Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

During the cleaning cycle hereinafter described, switches 101, 103, 105 and 107 are moved to clean position. While element 100 is thus still actuated, contacts 102, 102a and 10215 are by-passed. The circuit completed by moving switches 101, 103, 105 and 107 to clean position energizes pump motor 41, actuates solenoid valve 106, and by-passes solenoid valve 117 with valves 104, 108 and 109 unaffected by this cleaning circuit.

Operation To start initial operation of unit 10, etch and gum concentrate is placed in compartment 24 of supply tank 20. Switches 101 and 105 are moved to normal position to fill metering tank 34 with etch and gum concentrate. When tank 34 is full, switches 101 and 105 are then deactuated. Preferably, an initial batch of about five gallons of desired water fountain solution is made up manually and placed in compartment 26 to a level therein just below the preferably lower preset limit B of liquid level unit 100. Indicator 74 of metering tank 34 is set at the desired water fountain solution setting of concentrate, the main water supply control valve 33 is turned on and all the switches 101, 103, 105 and 107 are moved to their 6 normal position. Henceforth, the operation of unit 10 and the circulation of the fountain solution is automatically controlled in response to the amount of mixed solution in compartment 26.

With the switches, 101, 103, 105 and 107 actuated to normal and the amount of solution in compartment 26 below the lower preset level limit B of control element 100, the circuit energizing motor 41 of pump 40 is interrupted while valves 104 and 109 are closed and valves 106 and are opened. This momentarily stops feed of solution to the pan. Fresh water in line 30 enters compartment 26 through aspirator 38, forming a suction action which draws the selected amount of concentrate from tank 34 into compartment 26 to be mixed with the fresh water to give the proper water fountain solution.

When the solution in compartment 26 reaches the preset upper level A of element 100, solenoid valves 106 and 108 are closed, solenoid valve 104 is reopened to fill tank 34, solenoid valve 109 in line 42 is reopened and pump 40 is energized to pump the solution through line 42 to the associated water fountain pan of the press. Pump 40 continues to operate until the level of the solution in compartment 26 again falls below the lower preset level B of element 100 when the cyclic operation of the control system of unit 10 is repeated.

As described above, panel light 111, when energized, indicates that the unit 10 is in the mixing cycle and is operative to preclude deactuation of unit 10 during the mixing cycle. As stated hereinabove, preferably the preselected amount of etch and gum concentrate is fed to compartment 26 before the required amount of water enters compartment 26 If unit 10 is deactuated during this mixing cycle, upon re-actuation, pump 40 will send a stronger water fountain solution to the press than desired. Thus, panel light 111 is provided to prevent inadvertent de-actuation of unit 10 during the mixing cycle and thereby insures proper water fountain solution proportions at all times.

Periodically and preferably weekly, the accumulated sludge is cleared from unit 10. Both compartments 24 and 26 and tank 34 are drained of their contents through drain lines 110, 112 and 114, respectively, and compartments 24 and 26 filled with plain hot water above level A. Switches 101, 103, and 107 are moved to clean position to recirculate the hot water through those portions of the system through which the gum arabic and acid solution passes. However, during the cleaning cycle, the hot water by-passes the Water fountain pans through a by-pass line 116. The movement of the cleaning fluid through line 116 is controlled by solenoid valve 117 which, during the cleaning cycle of unit 10, is open and valve 100 is closed. As described hereinabove, valves 104 and 106 are also opened, the pump 40 is energized during the cleaning cycle to effect circulation through those portions of unit 10 contacted by etch and gum solution.

The hot water is circulated through the system, overflowing barrier 22 from compartment 26 and compartment 24 and through tank 34 back to compartment 26 for preferably several hours dissolving any accumulated foreign material. At the end of this cleaning period, switches 101, 103, 105 and 107 are moved to off position and the system drained of the hot water and entrained material. Unit 10 is now ready for the next re-start of operation.

It will be understood that unit 10 is provided with a control system which preferably adapts unit 10 to mix fresh water fountain solution in relatively small amounts (preferably about ten gallons) to ensure that fresh solution is being constinuously supplied to the water fountain pan of the press.

It will be further understood that, in the event unit 10 is desired to supply a number of water fountain pans, the solution feed and return lines of the pans need only be connected, either in common or in parallel, to lines 42 and 44, respectively, to permit continuous recirculation of the solution through one or a plurality of Water fountain pans.

Thus, there is provided a simple, efiicient unit for supplying the proper Water fountain solution from a central supply unit to the Water fountain pan of a printing press in a continuous recirculating system.

We claim:

A metering device comprising a cylindrical housing, end plates for said housing forming an enclosed chamber therein, means mounting said housing with the central axis of said housing in a generally horizontal plane, inlet means at one end of said chamber for supplying fluid to said chamber, a shaft rotatably mounted axially in said chamber and extending through one of said end plates, an actuating member for rotating said shaft mounted at one end of said shaft, said actuating member being disposed outside one of said end plates, a hollow sleeve member attached at one end of said shaft having the other end disposed outside of the other of said end plates, a

tubular element secured at one end transversely to said sleeve with the free end of said tubular element disposed for travel adjacent the periphery of said chamber to a selected position in said chamber, an outlet line communieating with said tubular element, means in said outlet line for Withdrawing fluid from said chamber through said tubular element and means for replacing said Withdrawn fluid.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 722,972 3/1903 Goebel 222--434 FOREIGN PATENTS 876,466 5/1953 Germany.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner. 

